Author Topic: All ebony neck? (Read 177 times)

rob_steen · « **on:** October 31, 2006, 03:46:14 AM »

Hi,
I'm in the planning stage for my next DIY guitar project and I am considering an all ebony neck.

This will be a fretless bass.

Any thought on this? Am I mad?

For the body I'm thinking mahogony and a nice maple top.

Thanks,
Rob.

adriaan · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2006, 04:29:11 AM »

Ebony is extremely dense as far as woods are concerned, so it will be a heavy bass. It is also very likely to turn out neck-heavy.

gtrguy · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2006, 10:07:01 AM »

Alsso, I was told at the factory that it would not adjust well with a truss rod and they did not offer it.

Bye, Dave

mica · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2006, 11:30:17 AM »

There was a club member that made a bolt-on bass with a solid Macassar Ebony neck I think. I'll try to rattle my brain some and remember who that was. Did he maybe even live in Santa Rosa? Ack! I can't recall.

I think if you make the neck from all Ebony, it probably won't matter too much what you make the body from.

It will be heavy for sure, but if your upper horn is long enough, you won't have to worry about neck-heaviness. Aim for as close to the 12th fret as your tastes can stand. Your fretting hand will thank you.

rraymond · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2006, 05:11:56 PM »

Warmoth has an ebony on ebony Jazz bass neck. Here's a link:

http://www.warmoth.com/showcase/sc_guitar_necks.cfm?type=bass&start=1&menuItem=1&itemNumber=BN956&subMenuItem=0&subMenuItem2=0

Reid

rob_steen · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2006, 04:05:07 AM »

Thanks for the advice - I can push the upper horn out.

Any ideas on how this would sound on a fretless?

trekster · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2006, 04:35:39 AM »

I recall many years ago a guitar magazine having a spread of a 6-string guitar that was carved out of a single log of ebony.. I think they had to mount it on a stand because it was un-wearable. But they said the sustain was forever.

I've been trying like made to see if there is a pic on the internet for this, but no dice.

--T

bwbass · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2006, 11:28:35 AM »

Hi! Brian from Warmoth here.

We did an all-ebony 5-string bass a while back (the customer sent us wood for the body) - I believe the body alone was around 15lbs. The customer said he loves it, though, and we never heard any complaints. Though of course I have a theory that he's now too hunched over to pick up the phone and call us.

I think I remember Harry Fleishman saying he had made an all-ebony bass for a customer, too. Same report - crazy heavy but crazy sustain, too.

tsarter · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2006, 06:42:22 PM »

The ebony neck bass Mica is speaking of used to be owned by me. I had to sell it awhile back, which I am sorry for now. It was made by Boogie Bodies. They supposedely made it for John Paul Jones, but he apparently never picked it up. Was an awesome bass and was not, surprisingly, too heavy. This was due in part to the fact that it had a chambered body. I'm going to try to upload some pics shortly.

David Houck · « **Reply #9 on:** November 03, 2006, 02:17:37 PM »

Hi Brian, welcome to the board and thanks for the input.